


Lucid Dreaming

by lightningscars



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Post - Deathly Hallows, Post-Hogwarts, dramione au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-22
Updated: 2014-09-22
Packaged: 2018-02-18 10:25:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2345012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightningscars/pseuds/lightningscars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Draco was an insomniac. Thus, he found intimacy difficult. (Unless, of course, it was mindless shagging. Then he was a pro.)</p><p>Hermione was just coming out of a messy divorce. She was hurting. (But not so much that she wouldn't have sex with a mysterious blond from her past)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lucid Dreaming

Draco lay perfectly still. He closed his eyes and concentrated on nothing but his slow, rhythmic breathing. In and out. In and out. He felt like he was floating. His back flat against the bed, he could feel the Egyptian cotton bed sheets on the small of his naked back. Creating a bubble around him, Draco tried to block out all the exterior noises that were keeping him awake: the silver rain pelting on the street outside that shattered on the street like bullets, the cadenced ticking of the old clock that was placed on his mantle piece, the light snores of the woman who lay next to him.

Ever since Draco was a little boy, he'd had trouble with sleeping. It wasn't that he was an insomniac. He got to sleep eventually. It just took some time. His parents had taken him to see a sleep doctor when he was seven who told him that he should calm his mind before going to sleep. He tried reading but he could never find any books he liked. He tried counting sheep but it all seemed pointless to him. The only thing that seemed to help Draco go to sleep was pure silence. He was deathly worried about going to Hogwarts; he dreaded the summer leading up to it. When finally it came, Narcissa bought Draco earplugs and packed them deep inside his trunk under all his robes so the other boys wouldn't find them and make fun of him. Every night he was at Hogwarts he used these earplugs and he found sleeping was easy. The boys never found out.

After Hogwarts, Draco got a job in the ministry and soon became one of the most affluent and wealthy wizards in the whole of England. However successful he became, Draco could not shake his sleeping difficulties. Draco got his first proper girlfriend when he was twenty years old. He'd had flings in school but, as teenage relationships do, they were fast and never amounted to anything. They certainly never amounted to anything where sleeping in the same bed was necessary. Draco met Regina Porum at work. He was in the lift. She was new and lost. He helped her find her way and as a thank you, she took him out to dinner. They were together for a year.

They first slept together two weeks into their relationship. After a date, Draco took Regina back to his London apartment where they had a wonderful, candlelit evening. Draco had never been in very good physical health. He wasn't fat but he wasn't fit. He ate right but never did any exercise. Going up stairs took the breath out of him and he was very thankful that the ministry had lifts. Because of his unfit condition, he was fatigued after his 'work out' and slept easily with Regina cuddled into his side. Other times, however, it was a trial. Even earplugs didn't seem to work for Draco. He didn't like to sleep with someone in such close proximity to him.

This is why Draco and Regina broke up. Embarrassed by his inability to get a good night's sleep unless he and Regina had physically slept together, Draco broke it off. He was tired at work and for some reason, couldn't tell the person he was most intimate with of his most intimate issues. Thus, Draco started to sleep around. He'd go to girls' houses, sleep with them and then leave before he actually had to sleep with them. He'd give a fake name, Ronald Weasley, and bolt just after the woman fell asleep.

Draco wasn't happy. As a male, he told himself, he had needs and this was natural. Lots of men did this. He knew he was lying to himself. One year, on the 1st of September, Draco passed through the barrier at King's Cross station and watched his fellow classmates send their children off to Hogwarts. Scowling, he watched as his sworn enemy, Harry Potter, kissed his sons and daughter on the top of their heads and sent them off to school, his arm around the shoulders of his beaming, loving wife. Draco sighed. He didn't like Harry Potter, not one bit, but he couldn't help but want what Harry had. A wife and family.

Every year, Draco went back. Until one year, he noticed a change. Hermione Granger stood alone waving off her children. She was married to Ron Weasley, as far as Draco knew. He'd seen them together every other time he'd been here. But not today. He hung back in the shadows as the scarlet engine of the Hogwarts Express chugged out of the station and waited as all the parents filed out of the station and through the barrier. Hermione strolled quickly past Draco but he caught her wrist as she walked past and pulled her back into the shadows.

"Malfoy?" She hissed, "What are you doing here?"

"That's neither here nor there," Draco retorted, "Where's Weasley?"

"Not that it's any of your business but Ronald and I are separated," Hermione said indignantly, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Sorry to hear that," Draco murmured.

Hermione looked around awkwardly. Draco had remembered her hair to be a wild, tangled mess but now it was shorter, shoulder length. She was in her early thirties like Draco was and there were thin lines by her eyes but that was the only immediate sign of aging. Otherwise, her milky skin looked healthy and her freckles had faded.

"Yes, well… We wanted different things," Hermione said, quietly. Draco could tell she was expecting a malicious comment from him, maybe aimed at the fact she was muggleborn or maybe she was hoping he'd make a malicious comment about Ron. Perhaps that's what she wanted to hear.

"That's never good... Not in a relationship," Draco rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably.

"And what do you know about relationships? Last I heard you were a serial shagger," Hermione snapped. He hands were placed on her hips, which jutted to one side.

"I was in a relationship once. The same amount of times you've been in a relationship, I believe, Granger," Draco smirked, "You jumped straight in there and married your childhood sweetheart. Never gave anyone else a second look."

Hermione scoffed, "Excuse me but who asked you to comment on my love life? I have enough going on without you calling me stupid."

"I'm not calling you stupid, Granger. Actually, quite the contrary. You're too smart. You married the safe option. You set yourself up for life. I bet Weasley is still totally in love with you. I bet he's crying his eyes out because his dream woman left him. I bet you went for him because you knew he would never hurt you or leave you because you're way out of his league. Poor, pathetic Weaselbee," Draco smirked. Hermione bit back a smile. Maybe rude remarks about Ron was exactly what she was after, "I'm right, aren't I?" Draco asked, studying Hermione's facial expressions really carefully.

Hermione shrugged playfully and then, without saying a word, turned her back on Draco and sauntered off. Draco watched her leave. He couldn't help but feel satisfied by that exchange. And he had no idea why.

Two weeks later Draco sat in the Leaky Cauldron slurping his third butter beer loudly while he sat alone mulling over some work he'd been procrastinating for the entire weekend. The pleasant Sunday afternoon was slowly being replaced by the dusk; darkness slowly creeping over the sky. Draco watched the sun set as he stared out of the window, finishing off his third butter beer. Slamming the goblet down on the table, Draco's eyes returned to his work. He was almost done. Just a few more pages to look over and then he could go home and at least try to have a good night's sleep before he needed to be in work tomorrow. Draco preferred to do work in public places. His house was lonely and cold. He liked having people around even if he didn't interact with them. It was strange - ever since Draco had talked to Hermione Granger on Platform 9 3/4 he really hadn't wanted to be alone.

A silver goblet slammed down on the table next to Draco, it's golden contents splashing on the table. "I didn't order this," Draco said, looking up at the barmaid who had served it to him.

"I know," She said dryly. Her hair was dishwater blonde and her eyes were grey. She could have been beautiful but her lines by her eyes made her look tired and she hunched over when she walked, "It's from the lady." The barmaid gestured to a woman sat at the bar who was sipping pumpkin juice through a straw while eyeing Draco. She giggled and aimed a small, shy wave in his direction. Sighing, the barmaid walked away, trying to straighten her back by pushing her shoulders out and back.

This was almost too easy. Draco's work was nearly done. He'd have to part with a few galleons to buy the girl at the bar a drink but apart from that he'd barely have to do anything else. The girl at the bar bit her glossy lip as Draco watched her. It was clear she was up for it. A few flirty jokes, some subtle touches, a few more drinks and they'd be on the way back to her place where Draco would get what he wanted and then be home free. Nights like these were what Draco Malfoy lived for. Hastily, Draco gathered up his papers, slipped them into his black leather briefcase and crossed the room to where the girl was sat. She was younger than Draco. He could see that visibly. Her eyes shone green and her hair was thin, long, white gold and glossy. She wore deep purple clothing and her eyeliner was very dark, making the green of her eyes stand out even more than it usually would.

"Ron Weasley," Draco smiled, turning on the charm (and using his fake name), "Thank you for the drink." He took her soft, manicured hand and kissed it lightly, showing his appreciation.

"Tallulah Ross," The girl took her hand back and smiled from under her eyelashes at Draco. She was poised perfectly on a bar stool. Everything about her seemed so effortless and easy. Tallulah would not be a hard girl to seduce.

"Tallulah," Draco repeated, "A beautiful name for a beautiful girl."

Immediately, Tallulah burst into a fit of giggles and bit her lip. She looked up at Draco who hadn't sat down and was still standing over her. Draco wasn't fond of gigglers. It was hard to make conversation and even though he'd never probably see Tallulah again, he wanted to have fun getting what he wanted.

Draco talked to Tallulah for a while before Hermione walked in. It had started to rain outside so Hermione's hair was dripping and she just wanted a warm drink in her system. She sauntered up to the bar, looking rather like a drowned rat. That's when she saw Draco, leaning against the bar trying to win over some blonde bimbo. Hermione cringed. That poor, poor girl. She had no idea what she was getting into. She had no idea who she was dealing with.

"Draco Malfoy?" Hermione walked up to him and she saw him turn, his blonde her flopped over his eyes and he had to move it back into place, "Draco?"

"Oh. Shit." Draco muttered under his breath.

"Sorry ma'am; I think you're confused. This isn't Draco Malfoy. This is Ron Weasley," Tallulah chirped.

Amusement shone in Hermione's eyes. "Oh! Of course! Sorry Ron! I just haven't seen you in so long. Not after you slept with me and then never called me again."

"What?" Tallulah looked at Draco quickly, "You did this to her?"

Draco glared at Hermione. She winked in return as Draco seethed, "No... No I didn't. She's just being-"

"Oh no, I am pretty sure you did. You did the same thing to three or four of my friends as well. In fact, there's a club. The attendance is quite high. I can't wait for you to join us... Sorry, I didn't quite catch your name," Hermione looked over at Tallulah expectantly.

"It's Tallulah. You know Ron, I think I'm going to get going. But it was... interesting to meet you," Tallulah gathered her things and bustled towards the door. Once the door had closed, Draco whipped around to face Hermione who was in stitches.

"A club? Really, Granger? A fucking club?" Draco was fuming. His face had turned a very intense shade of purple and his eyes were bloodshot and angry.

"Ron? Really, Malfoy? I'm surprised you even use a fake name but using Ron's name?" Hermione wiped a tear of laughter from her cheek with the back of her hand. She hadn't laughed like this since before her and Ron were separated. She felt liberated like a giant weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Maybe muggles have a point. Maybe laughter is the best medicine.

"You're a bitch, Hermione Granger. A cold-hearted bitch," Draco snapped.

"Cold-hearted? That's rich coming from you. You are incapable of loving it seems. All you can do is fuck mindlessly," Hermione retorted. Draco snorted at her response. How dare she? She had no idea what Draco was going through on the inside. His eternal struggle with sleep, "I saved that poor girl from feeling used and unwanted. Do you know what it's like to wake up after sleeping with someone only to realise they've left you? You feel inadequate, unloved... They don't leave a number or a note. It's as if they never existed."

"Like you know, you've only ever slept with one person. And that person was Ron Weasley," Draco spat.

"You don't know my whole life Draco, so stop pretending that you do," Hermione yelled. People started to look around now, wondering what all the commotion was about, "In fact, you have no idea."


End file.
